Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-04-08
DETAILS OF AN INTERESTING FIGHT
WHICH LASTED FIVE HOURS.

such purpose, and which gave the occasion
for greater display of forethought on the
part of the combatants than is usually con-
ceded even to the ant. The nest in the roof
was the one attacked The only approach to
it from the sound was by post and plas-
tered wall about six feet high A smooth
plank floor fitted closely against the wall and
post and was raised above the ground by a
low step. This floor was the scene of the
conflict
In all my repeated study of these nests and
their inhabitants during the summer months
the small workers were the only ones who
seemed TO labor. They did all the foraging,
and it was unusual to see one of the larger
workers outside of the entrance of the nest,
which, however, they faithfully guarded
The conduct of the latter so much mere
closely agreed with that of the soldier ants of
kindred species that in speaking of them in
this paper | shall call them soldiers, because
they certainly performed all the duties of a
soldier, and, 50 far as could be seen, did moth
ing else
When saw them on the morning of the
battle both the small workers and the large
ones, Or soldiers, We're out on the wall, post
and floor i'll great numbers. There was no
fight then going on. A strong force of SOL
dierS held every approach at the foot of the
post and wall. smaller bodies were formed in
regular lines half way up the post, and large,
outstanding groups were stationed at close
distances here and there upon the floor and
step, and running up and down the post sup
porting the nest.
While | stood wondering at the unusual
commotiOn | saw at the distance of a few
feet Il host of small workers. closely followed
by a great horde Of soldiers, streaming along
a fence from the other distant nest. They
must have numbered thousands. In a very
short time these hostile workers had descended
the fence TO the ground, swal1ned up the step
to the door and poured in crowds upon the
defensive scouts. The antagonists rushed
upon each other, and with their strong jaws
cut off here a leg and there an antenna, and
sometimes severed the body of an opponent
at blow. The foremost soldiers of the de
fensive party came to the rescue, and the
swarm of hostile workers were driven hack
toward the step.
But by this time the soldiers of the attack
ing party had reached the floor, moving de
liberately onward in a dense black mass,
crushing their smaller foes as they advanced.
In few moments the small workers were
either all killed OF retired from the front
Then the battle between the soldiers of the
opposing forces began in earnest. Hating a
moment till their ranks were close and COM
pact, though by no means regular. the in
vaders advanced to the attack in dense
mass, seeming to completely cover the floor
over which they moved In this close array
they met the defenders, whom they greatly
outnumbered. They were received however,
with courage as great as their own, and
their ranks were quickly broken up and
thrown into apparent disorder.
After the general charge had been thus
made and the combatants were mixed in an
undistinguishabe crowd, single champions
were seen rushing around the floor seeking a
foe When two of these champions ap-
preached each other mutual examination
with the ends of their antennn now seemed
necessary to tell foe from friend. Many such
meetings were friendly, ard after the saluta-
ton both would rush away at full speed.
But when, by the delicate test of feeling or
whatever serves them to thus distinguish,
each had found an enemy, they rushed upon
one another with the utmost rage, clinched
both with feet and jaws, and doubling them
selves up, rolled over the floor, biting and
tearing each other entirely undisturbed in
their deadly work by being lifted up into the
air with pair of forceps. At one time the
floor was nearly black with these rolling com,
batants
As the battle progressed the superior mum,
bers of the invaders drove the defenders OF
their home slowly backward to the foot Of
the post. Then number of the small
workers, who had been stationed upon the
post, ran rapidly up to the nest. In q mo
ment q fresh army of soldiers, numbering
many hundreds, rushed from the nest, and
descending the post, passed the guards at the
base and fell upon the victorious foe driving
them back slowly, but steadily, to the edge OF
the step. The guards at the base of the post
did not appear to leave their station to engage
in the general fight, and only took part in il
at all when tho attacking soldiers tried to pas
them to reach the nest.
The fight lasted about five hours, and ended
in total rout of the attacking party
Toward the close the wounded, doubtless ot
the invading party, were seen dragging them
selves of the field, generally carrying witt
them some enemy which had fastened upor
them by his strong jaws in a death embrace
In many cases these attached foemen werl
found to consist only of q pair of jaws and {
head, all the rest of the body having beer
torn away in the fight With bulldog tenac
ity the head held on firmly, resisting all eff
forts of the wounded ants to remove it. Il
test the force of his grip of the jaws touched
some of the unwounded soldiers with pail
of steel forcepS. They bit the end of tht
forceps so firmly that it was not possible t.
detach them by pressing them against thl
mouth of q collecting bottle without crushing
the ant itself.
When the enemy had been driven eff and
the fighting was over the workers came dow
from the nest and carried away many of tht
dead. But when they ceased their labor
hundreds of the dead were left, and from the
fact that before lifting and dragging away {
body two or more of them at the same tint
| carefully examined it with their antennR
and then with one accord either took it away
or left it where it was lying newer once seem
ing to differ in their decision-it would seen
that even after death they distinguishes
friend from foe.
The wounded defenders of their home tried
to crawl up to the nest. The loss of legs ant
| anterna made this difficult, and while SOM
succeeded many failed. When tho latte
found the task a vain one they crept slowl,
out into the grass and died. For two day
after the battle strong guard of soldier
was kept at the bottom of the post. Final.
these were withdrawn, and the ant colon,
settled down to its usual quiet rot utine Phil
adelphia Ledger.